**ALERT** Plymouth, Michigan

City eyes 'vicious' dog ordinance
By TONY BRUSCATO
Staff Writer

The Plymouth City Commission is expected to discuss options for an updated vicious dog ordinance to ease the fears of residents on Jenner who don't like that a 90-pound, red nose pit bull has moved into their neighborhood.



Neighbors of Kyle Kosmyna and Angel Edie believe the current city ordinance for vicious dogs isn't adequate to protect their families from what they consider a dangerous and threatening breed.

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"I just want to assure you there will be action on this," Mayor Phil Pursell said to a handful of concerned residents at Monday's commission meeting. "We aren't passing the buck, we are just trying to be as thorough and diligent as we possibly can so we do the right thing by everyone involved."



A week before the family moved into the rental home in the 500 block of Jenner, neighborsjmp handed the city commission two petitions. The first, with 181 signatures, called for a ban on pit bull, fighting and dangerous animals within the city limits.



A second petition calling for pit bulls and/or other types of breeds for fighting be spayed or neutered, contained within a six-foot secured privacy fence and to be leashed when in public had 13 signatures.



While Pursell told residents he was confident a new ordinance could be ready by the March 17 meeting, Jenner resident Chris Schneider was concerned the time frame was too long.



"A month has me worried, but I understand you need to do your due diligence," said

Schneider, who says he's in favor of the second petition.



Lori Wilcox was more direct.



"If these people choose to take a gamble owning this dog, it's their preogative," said Wilcox, who said she favors the second petition. "I, on the other hand, choose not to gamble my children, my neighbor's children or the existing pets in the neighborhood."



Kosmyna told commissioners that while his dog, Gage, isn't dangerous, "I'm all for a six-foot fence, I'm all for containment of my dog for the safety of my children and the families around me.



"My dog is a house dog. When I chain him up (outside), it's simply to go to the bathroom and come back inside," he added. "He doesn't roam the yard, he likes to be inside. He's a big baby."



The owner of the rental home, former Plymouth resident Steve Sarafian - who currently lives on the west coast - said he might have reconsidered renting the home if he had known a pit bull was moving into the home.



"But after getting to know Kyle, I know he's a very responsible human being, and if he says the dog is good, I stand behind the dog," Sarafian said. "Whatever the city council decides, I'll fix whatever needs fixing. If it's spending money to build a fence, I will do that."



City attorney Bob Marzano of Plunkett Cooney revealed he's given city officials sample ordinances from neighboring communities to consider.



"I'm investigating the constitutionality and how to have an ordinance that would be enforceable ... and fair to all parties," Marzano said.



Pursell cited a Canton Township ordinance as one that appears to be one Plymouth could adopt. In that ordinance, "vicious dog" means "any dog with a known propensity, tendency or disposition to attack unprovoked; any dog that attacks a human being or other domestic animal without being provoked; and any dog known by its owner to be a pit bull ... or any mixed breed of dog known to contain as an element of its breeding of any such breeds."



"I think you can have an ordinance that specifies for potentially dangerous and vicious dogs due to their heritage, their breeding," Pursell said. "We all love dogs, but there comes a point where the dogs have to take a back seat to the safety of the people.



"I think we can tighten our ordinance a bit to satisfy them," he added. "I think they'd sleep better at night. I know I would."



tbruscato@hometownlife.com | (734) 459-2700







Contact Information



Plymouth City Hall

201 S Main Street

Plymouth, MI 48170

(734) 453-1234

Fax: (734) 455-1892





City Manager

Paul Sincock

psincock@ci.plymouth.mi.us





City Clerk

Lina Langmesser

llangmesser@ci.plymouth.mi.us